Industry Shapes the Valley

By William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2011

1. Industry Shapes the Valley Marker

Inscription.

Industry Shapes the Valley. . . The presence of industry changed the physical appearance and social composition of the Cuyahoga Valley. In the early years of the 20th century, both the Cleveland Akron Bag Company and the Jaite Paper Mill built new structures that impacted the area. Since 1827, the village of Boston had oriented itself toward the Ohio & Erie Canal. Streets radiated from the canal, and houses and commercial buildings stood alongside it. In 1900, the Cleveland Akron Bag Company located its factory next to the tracks of the Valley Railway, by then part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad system. A company store and workers' houses were clustered nearby. The orientation of the village of Boston essentially shifted to the tracks and factory. . . No village even existed at Jaite until the Jaite Paper Mill began operations. Jaite became a true company town as the factory erected a general store, boarding house, and post office, as well as duplexes and single-family homes for some of its workers. The employees at Jaite numbered as many as 250 at one time. Many were Polish or Czech immigrants, adding to the cultural diversity within the Cuyahoga Valley. . . [Photo caption reads] Freight house and passenger station located near the Jaite Paper Mill, c. 1950. Today, the remaining structures of the town of Jaite are the yellow buildings of Cuyahoga Valley National Park's headquarters complex.

The presence of industry changed the physical appearance and social composition of the Cuyahoga Valley. In the early years of the 20th century, both the Cleveland Akron Bag Company and the Jaite Paper Mill built new structures that impacted the area. Since 1827, the village of Boston had oriented itself toward the Ohio & Erie Canal. Streets radiated from the canal, and houses and commercial buildings stood alongside it. In 1900, the Cleveland Akron Bag Company located its factory next to the tracks of the Valley Railway, by then part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad system. A company store and workers' houses were clustered nearby. The orientation of the village of Boston essentially shifted to the tracks and factory.

No village even existed at Jaite until the Jaite Paper Mill began operations. Jaite became a true company town as the factory erected a general store, boarding house, and post office, as well as duplexes and single-family homes for some of its workers. The employees at Jaite numbered as many as 250 at one time. Many were Polish or Czech immigrants, adding to the cultural diversity within the Cuyahoga Valley.

[Photo caption reads] Freight house and passenger station located near the Jaite Paper Mill, c. 1950. Today, the remaining structures of the town of Jaite are the yellow buildings of Cuyahoga Valley

By William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2011

2. Industry Shapes the Valley Marker

National Park's headquarters complex.

Erected by National Park Service.

Location. 41° 15.781′ N, 81° 33.668′ W. Marker is in Boston, Ohio, in Summit County. Marker is on Riverview Road near Boston Mills Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. The marker is in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, at the Boston Mill station of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Marker is in this post office area: Peninsula OH 44264, United States of America.

[Photo caption reads] Freight house and passenger station located near the Jaite Paper Mill, c. 1950. Today, the remaining structures of the town of Jaite are the yellow buildings of Cuyahoga Valley National Park's headquarters complex.

By William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2011

5. Photo on Industry Shapes the Valley Marker

[Photo caption reads] A northbound train arrives at the Boston Mill Depot, c. 1915. This depot was moved to the Village of Peninsula in 1968 and is now the Peninsula Depot Visitor Center for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

By William Fischer, Jr., June 5, 2011

6. Photo on Industry Shapes the Valley Marker

[Photo caption reads] Workers inside the Cleveland Akron Bag Company, c. 1910. The company employed approximately 200 people at the height of its operations.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on July 23, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 334 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 23, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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